JERUSALEM / Said Amouri / AA

Israeli Knesset member Dan Illouz announced on Saturday his withdrawal from the ruling Likud party and his decision not to run in the upcoming primaries, a move that deals a new blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and highlights the widening divisions within the party ahead of the next elections.

Channel 12 reported that Illouz made the decision to withdraw due to his opposition to the current conscription law formula, becoming the third prominent party member to leave Likud over this issue, after former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Knesset member Yuli Edelstein.

It added that Illouz is one of the leading voices within the party calling for the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredim) and advocating for broader equality in bearing military service, while rejecting legislation that grants extensive exemptions or accommodations to this group.

Illouz's announcement comes days after Yuli Edelstein announced on July 3 his departure from the Likud party and his decision not to run in the primaries, stating his intention to pursue a new political path after years of membership in the party.

These departures reflect the escalating disagreements within Likud over the conscription law, one of the most divisive issues within the ruling coalition, as Haredi parties insist on traditional exemptions for yeshiva students, while growing pressure from within the party and the security establishment calls for legislation that broadens mandatory conscription and achieves greater equality in sharing the burden of military service.

The Likud party is scheduled to hold its primaries on August 4, an internal process in which registered party members select its candidates for the Knesset elections, in addition to electing the party leader.

These elections hold particular political significance, as Likud is the largest right-wing party in Israel and the main party in the ruling coalition, with its results helping to shape the party's leadership and determine its list of candidates for the next general elections.

Haredim make up about 13% of Israel's population, which exceeds 10 million, and they refuse to perform military service, claiming they dedicate themselves to Torah study, believing that integration into secular society threatens their religious identity.

For decades, they have managed to avoid conscription upon reaching the age of 18 by obtaining repeated deferments on the grounds of studying in religious seminaries until they reach the exemption age, currently 26.

However, in June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled to obligate Haredim to perform military service and to halt financial support for religious institutions whose students refuse conscription.